Glossary
What is SEO?
The short answer
SEO (search engine optimization) is the work of helping your pages show up in Google and other search engines for the searches your customers make. It covers what's on the page, how the site is built, and how other sites link to and mention you. Every major builder handles the basics; the bigger risks are a slow mobile site and losing rankings when you move platforms without redirects.
What it means
When someone searches “emergency plumber near me” or “how much does a website cost,” a search engine picks a handful of pages out of millions. SEO is everything you do to make your page one of them.
There’s no switch to flip. Good SEO is mostly clear pages that answer real questions, a site that loads fast and works on phones, and a reputation other sites vouch for.
It now reaches AI search too. AI assistants and AI answers in search draw on the same web pages, which is why some platforms have started tracking AI mentions alongside rankings.
How it works
Search engines send crawlers to read your pages, store them in an index and rank them for each search. The work splits into four parts:
| Part | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Technical | Crawlable pages, sitemap, speed, mobile, HTTPS, redirects |
| On-page | Titles, headings, content, internal links, image alt text |
| Off-page | Links and mentions from other sites, reviews |
| Local | Google Business Profile, consistent name, address and phone |
Mobile comes first. Google announced in October 2023 that mobile-first indexing had landed, meaning it primarily crawls and indexes the mobile version of sites. In the US, mobile made up 49.1% of web page views in September 2026, with desktop at 48.47%, according to StatCounter. That’s why responsive design and Core Web Vitals are part of SEO.
Why it matters when you build a site
Your platform sets the floor for technical SEO: whether you can edit titles and descriptions, set redirects, control URLs and keep pages fast. Content and reputation are still up to you.
The biggest SEO risk most owners face is a move. When page addresses change and you don’t set 301 redirects (permanent forwarding from old URLs to new ones), you can lose rankings that took years to earn. Our guide to moving your website covers how to avoid that.
How the big builders handle it
- Self-hosted WordPress: clean URLs, and XML sitemaps in core since version 5.5. Plugins such as Rank Math add meta tags, schema and redirects. We build on WordPress every week, and an SEO plugin is part of every build.
- Squarespace: built-in SEO controls, an AI SEO Scanner that suggests titles, descriptions and alt text, and an AIO Scanner that tracks mentions on AI platforms like ChatGPT.
- Wix: built-in SEO tools on every site.
- Webflow: built-in SEO controls, plus Webflow AEO for AI search visibility on Team and Enterprise plans.
- Shopify: SEO fields on every product, with sitemaps and URL redirects in the admin.
- Hostinger: an AI SEO Assistant suggests keywords, but SEO settings don’t carry over if you move the site to WordPress.
- Lovable and Bolt: Lovable projects created since May 13, 2026 render on the server so crawlers get full HTML. Bolt’s SEO Boosting, a Pro feature, creates an HTML version of each page for crawlers.
Common mistakes
- Moving without redirects. Map every old URL to its new home before you switch. This is the core of any website migration.
- Leaving search engines blocked after launch. Many platforms let you hide a site while you build it. Turn that off when you go live.
- Using the same title on every page. Each page needs its own title and description that match what it’s about.
- Ignoring mobile. Check every page on a phone, since that’s the version Google looks at first.
- Buying guarantees. No one controls Google’s rankings. Be wary of anyone promising a number-one spot.
Related terms
- Core Web Vitals: Google’s page experience scores.
- Responsive design: pages that work on any screen.
- Website migration: where rankings are most often lost.
- Plugin: how WordPress adds SEO tools.
Questions people ask
What does SEO stand for?
Search engine optimization: the work of helping your pages appear in search results for the searches your customers make.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes, the basics. Write a clear title and description for each page, answer real customer questions, keep the site fast on phones and set up your Google Business Profile if you serve a local area.
Which website builder is best for SEO?
All the major builders cover the basics. Self-hosted WordPress gives the most control through plugins, while Squarespace, Wix, Webflow and Shopify include built-in SEO settings.
Will I lose my rankings if I change website builders?
You can, if page addresses change without 301 redirects. Redirect every old URL to its new page and keep your domain, and most rankings carry over.
Keep reading
Would you rather have someone build it?
Rank Summit Agency builds and looks after websites for US businesses. Full disclosure: Rank Summit runs this site.